I Hope We Don't Win the Mega Millions Jackpot

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It's a risky game I'm playing.

With all the talk of the Mega Millions jackpot exceeding a billion dollars (and maybe even hitting two billion - crazy!), even my frugal-minded self couldn't resist the siren call of the lottery. I mean, how else am I ever going to have a shot at becoming a billionaire? (My husband was quick to point out that with hard work, anyone can become a billionaire and that it's still a possibility for us. Okay, Pollyanna. He sees the world through very rosy glasses indeed.)

Like every American the last few days, I was instantly consumed with how I'll spend my theoretical winnings. I would take the annuity rather than a lump sum, which would be more than a million dollars per month for the next 29 years, after taxes. My future self, the billionaire, was going to use the money to hire someone to wallpaper our master bedroom. Heck, she was going to hire someone to wallpaper the entire house! She might even have replaced some of the tile on the floor.

Clearly, spending a billion dollars is more than my imagination can comprehend. I'd be like a thrifty Mr. Burns. Enjoy the sun while you can, muah ha ha. I set off to buy my $1 Mega Millions ticket.

Then I learned a Mega Millions ticket costs two dollars. "Too rich for my blood," I said, feeling at once like a professional poker player. The odds are absurd anyway - you're much more likely to be in a plane crash (1 in 11,000,000) or struck by lightening (1 in 700,000) or killed by a dog (1 in 18,000,000) than win the Mega Millions jackpot (1 in 258,890,850). You're also more likely to bowl a perfect 300 game (1 in 11,500). I threw in that last statistic because the others were getting a bit dark.

So, just for fun*, here are the numbers I would have gone with if I'd purchased a ticket. If you'd like to play this game too, Mega Millions has 5 white balls numbered 1-70 and one Mega Ball numbered 1-25.

*It's loads of fun as long as I don't actually have the winning numbers. Oh my gawd can you imagine? More than a billions dollars, gone, all because I was too cheap to spend $2. I would die. Or write a book about it, I suppose. That would be a great plot for a book. A bestseller. Pre-orders are currently being accepted - billionaire status here I come!

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Chemical Peel Before & AfterSince posting my chemical peel photos, detailing the stages of the process, and writing my chemical peel blog review back in 2013, I've had quite a few Jessner peels (my favorite) and TCA peels. However, I've saved a ton of money over the past 6 months by doing my own chemical peels at home. At my last professional peel, I made a note of the product being used and did some research when I got home. I was able to buy the exact same one, Dermalure Jessner Solution Acid Peel 14%, from Amazon for less than the cost of a single peel.

(2/23/19 Update: I've switched to Dermalure 30% TCA Peel for my at-home treatments. It's nothing against their Jessner solution - both are fine. This one was just on sale when I ran out of the other.) I also use Dermalure's AHA/BHA Acne Cleanser, which I apply before the Jessner. The product is self-neutralizing, despite what the Amazon listing says, and couldn't be simpler. Side note: There's current…

It's Sunday morning and you're planning to do all the things today - scrub those grody baseboards, polish your quartz countertop that was supposed to be low maintenance but actually isn't at all, sort through the disaster that is the freezer.

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While you're here, check out 36 Best Instant Pot Recipes, each with a 4.5-star rating or higher.(I promise none of these recipes will explode!) Like many new Instant Pot owners, I've wondered, How many Instant Pots have exploded?

(Eeek!)

I'm happy to report that my research on Snopes and other sites has shown that these do not explode, at least not when used properly. There is a lawsuit between a woman in Texas and the Instant Pot manufacturer, but she admits she had thrown a towel over the steam vent. Do NOT do this.

Still concerned? Consider that on Prime Day of 2018, Amazon sold more than 300,000 Instant Pots. That's more than a quarter of a million sales in only 1 day! If these things were not safe, you would see news stories every day about someone being injured.

Still, things can go wrong.

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SN will be quick to tell you that there are pros and cons of being married to a blogger. This CopycatTaco Bell Grilled Stuffed Burrito recipe (courtesy of an actual Taco Bell employee) is a perfect example. I know I'm getting my fast food chains mixed up here, but let's supersize it and make ours XXL!

On the plus side, I love to cook up tasty new foods to post on my blog. He never seems to mind this part. Can we make Grilled Stuffed Burritos at home? Sure, why not.

Taco Bell Grilled Stuffed Burrito Copycat (Waaay better than the fast food version - healthier, less expensive, and you don't risk ticking off the drive-thru girl.)

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...and then steal it away before he can take a bite. Hey, I have to get photos for my blog, right?

SN should have known better than to try to eat his burrito before I was finished. Don't feel too bad for him. These things stay hot forever!

Update Since posting my Hello Fresh complaints yesterday, here is a message I have received:

"I did order from HelloFresh previously and was not charged what I was originally told (or thought I was told). Also, the food from them was anything but fresh and they refused to do a refund, only doing credit - even for the overcharges! So basically I ended up being out of money thanks to them."

Original Post

Hello, my bloggy friends. I have a HelloFresh complaint and believe they are pulling a scam. Yours truly came *this close* to falling for it.

Maybe scam is too harsh of a word. Sneaky? You can decide for yourself.Hello Fresh ComplaintsWhy I Think Hello Fresh is Dishonest/Misleading: An ad from HelloFresh appeared in my Facebook feed. (I'll post it here if it appears again. I keep scrolling and scrolling, searching so you can see it.) The offer sounded too good to be true, so I read through the comments.

People were asking questions and the ad moderator was replying that they s…

*Update*Since posting this, I have found a way to modify the Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce recipe from the bottle into something yummy. Click over to enjoy that recipe instead. It's even better than the Mini Masala Meatballs recipe from the Trader Joe's website. (Unless you enjoy lemon in your meatballs - yuck.)

What the heck is a masala?

(Google and you shall receive. It's 'any of a number of spice mixtures ground into a paste or powder for use in Indian cooking.')

I wasn't in the mood to prepare anything elaborate tonight, so it seemed like an ideal opportunity to try the Trader Joe's Masala Simmer Sauce that has been sitting in our pantry.

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Test out some of these ideas tomorrow. Won't it be nice to roll out of your comfy Amerisleep bed and dig into a mouthwatering cinnamon roll for breakfast? You can't get a better start to your day than that.Canned Cinnamon Roll HacksCanned Cinnamon Roll Hack #1 Always cover your pan.

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Mattress SaleMemorial Day weekend has come and gone, but it's not too late to score a once-a-year discount on a new mattress. I'm featuring every coupon currently available for the Amerisleep mattress sale (our personal favorite), as well as promo codes for the Layla Sleep, Brooklyn Bedding, Bear Mattress, and Zoma mattress sales.

All of the beds listed below are highly rated and include free shipping both ways.

These are the best discounts available on these brands, including exclusive promos for my blog readers. If the coupon you're looking for isn't here, it doesn't exist. AmerisleepWe've been happy customers since buying our AS3 in 2012 Here is an extensive list of all the Amerisleep coupons currently available: 1. Save $250 or More on Any Size Mattress with Promo Code KITTY